Ownership Submission

FORM 3

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

OMB APPROVAL

OMB Number:

3235-0104

Estimated average burden hours per response...

0.5

(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person ^*

SMITH DAVID BRUTON

2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year)
10/16/2008

3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
SONIC AUTOMOTIVE INC [SAH]

(Last)

(First)

(Middle)

C/O SONIC AUTOMOTIVE, INC., 6415 IDLEWILD ROAD, SUITE 109

4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

__X__ Director	_____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below)	_____ Other (specify below)
Executive Vice President

5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)

(Street)

CHARLOTTE, NC 28212

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

(City)

(State)

(Zip)

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 4)	2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned (Instr. 4)	3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
Class A Common Stock	16,919 ⁽¹⁾	D

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.			SEC 1473 (7-02)
	Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB control number.

Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 4)	2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 4)		4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 4)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares	4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security		6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
Options to Purchase	⁽²⁾	10/23/2012	Class A Common Stock	3,000	$ 16.2	D
Options to Purchase	⁽³⁾	04/21/2013	Class A Common Stock	2,000	$ 15.9	D
Options to Purchase	⁽⁴⁾	10/23/2013	Class A Common Stock	2,000	$ 26.36	D
Options to Purchase	⁽⁵⁾	04/21/2014	Class A Common Stock	10,000	$ 23.42	D
Options to Purchase	⁽⁶⁾	04/21/2015	Class A Common Stock	8,000	$ 19.23	D
Options to Purchase	⁽⁷⁾	10/19/2015	Class A Common Stock	20,000	$ 21.23	D
Options to Purchase	⁽⁸⁾	04/19/2016	Class A Common Stock	14,405	$ 26.42	D
Options to Purchase	04/18/2008	04/18/2017	Class A Common Stock	7,203	$ 30.07	D

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
Reporting Owner Name / Address	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
SMITH DAVID BRUTON C/O SONIC AUTOMOTIVE, INC. 6415 IDLEWILD ROAD, SUITE 109 CHARLOTTE, NC 28212	X		Executive Vice President

Signatures

/s/ David Bruton Smith		10/24/2008
^**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	Includes shares of restricted stock granted pursuant to the Sonic Automotive, Inc. 2004 Stock Incentive Plan. 8,112 of these shares are subject to forfeiture, in whole or in part, based on Sonic's earnings per share performance for the 2008 fiscal year.
(2)	Options to purchase vested in three equal annual installments beginning on 10/23/2003.
(3)	Options to purchase vested in three equal annual installments beginning on 4/21/2004.
(4)	Options to purchase vested in three equal annual installments beginning on 10/23/2004.
(5)	Options to purchase vested in three equal annual installments beginning on 4/21/2005.
(6)	Options to purchase vested in three equal annual installments beginning on 4/21/2006.
(7)	Options to purchase vested in three equal annual installments beginning on 10/19/2006.
(8)	Options to purchase vested in two equal annual installments beginning on 4/19/2007.

Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, See Instruction 6 for procedure.

Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB number.